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View Full Version : McCain suspends his campaign - Political tool or focusing on the economy?


Dean
September 24th, 2008, 09:57 PM
In an effort to be a little less pro-liberal and a little more objective, I've noticed democrats and liberal news pundits blasting McCain with charges that his latest suspension of his campaign is nothing more than a way to shift focus from the economy onto which candidate cares more, has the stench of desperate shock tactic, and has some particularly troubling factual information pertaining to when exactly McCain and Obama spoke and when McCain decided to single-handedly suspend his campaign.

But my attempt to be objective has brought forth the stark realization that I can't be not pro-liberal about this. From what I've read on CNN, the most objective mainstream network news site I know (hey, MSNBC is pro-liberal, Fox News is pro-conservative... at least CNN TRIES to be Populist!), the following can be gathered...

His [McCain's] campaign suggested that he would skip the debate if Congress hadn't passed legislation addressing the crisis by then. Obama, however, said the debate in Oxford, Mississippi, should go forward.

"It's my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person will be the next president," the Democrat said in Clearwater, Florida. "It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once. It's more important than ever to present ourselves to the American people." (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/campaign.wrap/index.html)

Obama said, "[McCain] called me back at about 2:30 this afternoon after our rally, and I asked him to join me in issuing a joint statement to let this Congress and this administration know where we stand and what we expect from this proposal, because of the past few days, it's been clear that we have come to agree on some broad principles."

Obama added that McCain agreed to the suggestion of issuing a joint statement.

McCain, according Rogers, suggested that the two presidential candidates have a meeting in Washington "to lead a bipartisan effort to solve this problem" and that they both suspend their campaigns and hold off on Friday's presidential debate.

Obama said his intent was focused on issuing a joint statement first.

But shortly after the call ended, Obama said, his rival appeared on television announcing the suspension and the subsequent debate no-show.

"I think the only possible miscommunication that might have been how quickly there was an announcement and someone was on television. I think my assumption was that the joint statement would go out initially," Obama said.

But McCain, appearing live on "The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric," challenged Obama's claims that he supported a joint statement.

"This is not the time for statements. ... I think the American people expect more of us. And I would hope that we would respond that way," he said.

"We discussed that we do agree, and I'd be glad to -- to join in a common press release or statement, but now is not the time for statements. Time is now to act," he added. (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/suspend.timeline/index.html)

Many representatives, both democrat and republican, would rather the candidates not risk politicizing the economic "crisis" and simply avoid trivializing the process of analyzing the $700 billion bailout's specifics.

I detect an aura of "sneakiness" from McCain and his campaign in how they dealt with Barack Obama and particularly Obama's desire to issue a joint statement. After McCain made such a deal out of Obama turning down McCain's offer to do a series of town halls, and what McCain credits as contributing to the negative nature of most of the ads from both candidates, it is almost insulting to see McCain opt to turn down Obama's offer - with no notification to Obama as we can see - and try to politicize the process of suspending his campaign for what was supposed to be the best move for the United States of America and its weakened economy. Country first?

What do you think?

Squall
September 24th, 2008, 10:00 PM
I think that David Letterman is pissed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjkCrfylq-E

Skip to the 6:30 mark if you don't care to watch all of it.

Dean
September 24th, 2008, 10:08 PM
I'm watching the whole thing, and he brings up another major issue, how protected Palin has been from the media. It just reeks of controversy. Why aren't they letting Palin speak on McCain's behalf? It's just 'eerie'. I mean, we've heard about the bridge to nowhere, troopergate, funding the study of reproductive habits of marine life, lying about the amount of oil and energy produced in Alaska, and probably several I'm forgetting... and her inexperience... the whole lipstick nonsense... WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO HIDE?


lol, makeup... I love the shot of McCain getting his makeup on after saying he has to rush to the airport. God, Letterman was brutal to Palin and John, but damn... that was great. Rachel Ray, lol. I thought that appearance was actually pretty good for McCain. It showed he can man the grill!

I love a chief executive who can fricassee!

Majin
September 25th, 2008, 12:08 AM
CNN is now reporting that McCain wants to move the debate to next Thursday when the VP debate is suppose to be and not have the VP debate.

Dean
September 25th, 2008, 12:16 AM
...Gee, I wonder why. Could this have just been some attempt to keep Palin from having to debate Biden?

Golly gee whilikers, Batman!

~Mr. Indecisive~
September 25th, 2008, 03:19 PM
Some on CNN speculated that McCain wants Obama to help with the legislation, so that if/when there is an outcry from the public, McCain could push some of the blame on Obama as well. Which IMO, is a somewhat underhanded tactic.

Suburban Reject
September 25th, 2008, 10:41 PM
Eh, I have several thoughts on this...

If McCain was serious about this, he'd have 'suspended' the campaign earlier, with the Bill first being proposed.

Secondly, considering the attention he generated, he didn't suspend anything really...

Thirdly, only senators can run 1 track and shut down everything else. Presidents have multiple pressing needs to address... For example, Bush has to fix the upper class corporate mess AND recognize that Pakistan has begun to wage war with us.

Finally, many contemporaries have found McCain to be a nuisance to negotiations, from both parties.

Crazy Jamie
September 26th, 2008, 04:17 AM
From my (foreign) perspective, this seems like a move that is not only entirely political, but which may badly backfire. And, to be perfectly honest, I hope it does backfire. There doesn't seem to be any substantive reasoning behind this action. It is not his job to play the role of President in this situation because he is not President yet. And even if he was, he wouldn't be able to drop everything for one issue. This just doesn't make sense from a practical standpoint.

jackenape
September 26th, 2008, 07:56 AM
...but which may badly backfire.
It already has: the GOP blocked the bail out.

The_Mess
September 26th, 2008, 08:32 AM
...And they're trying to run with a mortgage insurance scheme, rather than a bail out to the finance companies involved. Unfortunately I know jack-all objective about it, just merely that the collapse of more finance companies and the corresponding credit issues probably isn't going to be a good thing.

And Letterman does have a point, why hasn't McCain let Palin continue on with the campaigning? Not that this suspension should directly indicate that they think she's to inept to continue without McCain, but it's definitely strange.

CNN is now reporting that McCain wants to move the debate to next Thursday when the VP debate is suppose to be and not have the VP debate.
:rolleyes:

My, how surprising.

Dean
September 26th, 2008, 12:54 PM
From my (foreign) perspective, this seems like a move that is not only entirely political, but which may badly backfire. And, to be perfectly honest, I hope it does backfire. There doesn't seem to be any substantive reasoning behind this action. It is not his job to play the role of President in this situation because he is not President yet. And even if he was, he wouldn't be able to drop everything for one issue. This just doesn't make sense from a practical standpoint.

First I wanted to rep you for the whole appendix ordeal. Now I want to rep you for this. Sad thing is I have to spread rep around to do so...

Not that this suspension should directly indicate that they think she's to inept to continue without McCain, but it's definitely strange.

They probably do think she's inept to continue because SHE IS. She did an interview with Katie Couric where her big "foreign policy experience" argument was that Alaska has a maritime border with Russia and a land border with Canada. When Katie asked if Alaska actually had any deals with Russia, Palin could only come up with two things - "trade missions" (she never specified) and the fact that "When Pudin rears his head and enters the United States airspace he is over Alaska."

Couric also asked Palin to state a specific instance in which McCain demonstrated his tendency for being a "maverick" and Palin said "I'll have to get back to you on that."

If you've seen her in interviews, she can barely put a sentence together. I don't know if she's nervous or what, but I don't know why an otherwise seemingly intelligent woman would appear so uninformed. She has trouble putting nouns, verbs, prepositions, and objects together in her sentences and sounds ridiculous.

But the more and more they shield her from interviewers, and if they continue this trend of not wanting to allow questions, she's going to seem like a total airhead who was chosen solely because she has a vagina and can trick ex-Hillary voters into switching to McCain.

Suburban Reject
September 26th, 2008, 10:20 PM
Handing 700 Billion dollars to those who f*cked us over is counterproductive. With the money, we have to take control of these corporations and finally hold the CEOs accountable.

At the same time, we can't sit back and watch the cash disappear. I think the middle ground on money (gradual employment) should be tried.

Majin
September 28th, 2008, 11:52 PM
Sup John Kerry laying it down on Fox News

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/28/john-kerry-takes-it-to-mc_n_130021.html

Hate to see Fox's bullsh*t after what he said to comeback.